DETROIT — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has decided to pause its push for a significant recall of nearly 50 million airbag inflators, opting instead to conduct further investigations into concerns raised by the automotive industry about the potential defectiveness of these inflators. This announcement diverges from the agency’s earlier stance in July where it deemed the inflators produced by ARC Automotive Inc., based in Tennessee, to be hazardous and in need of a recall.
The NHTSA has identified that approximately 49 million vehicles from 13 different manufacturers may house inflators that could explode, sending sharp fragments towards both drivers and passengers. Since 2009, at least two fatalities and seven injuries in the U.S. and Canada have been linked to these inflators. A blanket recall would entail substantial financial implications for the industry.
In a document made public on Wednesday and dated December 13, the agency acknowledged the feedback received regarding the July decision advocating for a recall. The automotive sector highlighted that there are noticeable technical and engineering distinctions in the ARC inflators between various vehicle manufacturers. These comments also pointed out variations in the production processes employed at the different facilities where ARC inflators are manufactured.
Considering these potential implications on the recall decision, NHTSA stated that further investigation is needed. The agency plans to issue additional information request letters to ARC, multiple vehicle producers, and airbag module production companies in the coming weeks.
The NHTSA expressed that it is critically analyzing the insights from the recall feedback and intends to evaluate the responses received before making a final determination on how to address the issue. Should the review necessitate it, the NHTSA may allow for further public commentary before arriving at a conclusive decision.
The inquiry into ARC has been ongoing since 2015 after reports emerged of driver-side inflators rupturing in a Canadian 2004 Kia and a U.S. 2002 Chrysler Town & Country, both occurrences resulting in injuries. Earlier this year, NHTSA documented that seven inflators had burst in real-world scenarios in the U.S., indicating issues related to inadequate welds and excess pressure within the canisters designed to contain inflator explosions.
Furthermore, NHTSA revealed that 23 inflators ruptured during testing under circumstances similar to those observed in prior ruptures. There were also reported cases of four inflators malfunctioning outside the U.S., leading to at least one fatality.
According to a July report from the NHTSA, the bulk of affected inflators are unlikely to rupture upon deployment. Nonetheless, they noted that the overarching evidence, which links incidents of rupture to the friction welding process used for assembly, suggests all inflators pose a rupture risk.
Many automakers countered the agency’s claims during public commentary, indicating that prolonged investigations had not definitively shown a widespread design flaw. Some manufacturers argued that none of the inflators in their cars had ruptured under examined conditions.
The NHTSA maintained that the sole method to ascertain which ARC inflators would fail is through their deployment during a crash. They emphasized that federal motor vehicle safety regulations require that such defects must not be overlooked.
Tragically, one victim of an ARC inflator explosion was Marlene Beaudoin, a 40-year-old mother from Michigan, who died following an incident in 2021 when her 2015 Chevrolet Traverse SUV was involved in a minor collision. She suffered fatal injuries from metal fragments while on an outing with four of her sons to get ice cream; fortunately, her sons emerged unscathed.
